The next day!
When Lin Yi came out of the harem, he was quite dejected, which made him sigh to the heavens. These women have no martial virtue!
We agreed to play mahjong, but in the end we had to take turns playing; most people couldn't handle that.
After playing mahjong all night, even with his super-enhanced physique, he couldn't help but feel a little sore.
It has to be said, there's strength in numbers.
Today, because of the imperial examination, I slept in late, which was rare for me. But I was tricked by a few women and almost ended up needing to lean against the wall to get there.
Luckily, I'm in great shape, otherwise I probably would have had to lean against the wall to stay upright.
After taking only a few steps, they saw Zhao Gao bowing as he approached.
"Your Majesty, breakfast was delayed earlier, and I have had it remade, which has been placed in the Imperial Study," he said softly as he approached, bowing slightly.
It was already past breakfast time, and to ensure the Emperor wouldn't go hungry, he had been keeping a close watch on both sides, worried that the Emperor wouldn't eat immediately.
"Yes, thank you for your trouble!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. Now that you mention it, he really was a little hungry. After all, he had used up too much energy last night and needed to replenish it.
This guy knows how to get things done; he actually postponed breakfast, and at just the right time. He clearly put a lot of thought into it.
He now understood why Qin Shi Huang had valued him so highly; after all, such a considerate eunuch could save the emperor a lot of trouble.
He'll prepare everything in advance for whatever you want to do; who wouldn't like such a lackey?
Upon hearing Lin Yi's words, Zhao Gao was startled and hurriedly shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty has worked so hard for the country that you are exhausted. This servant sees it and feels sorry for you."
"This servant is but a lowly person, incapable of sharing the Emperor's burdens, and can only do these trivial tasks."
The Emperor's words, "Thank you for your trouble," were a serious matter; he couldn't bear such a burden, as it could potentially cost him his life.
"Troublesome affairs of state?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi blushed, a rare occurrence for him. This fellow certainly knew how to talk; he'd even come up with a reason for himself. What a good lackey!
He nodded slightly and sighed, "As the emperor, there are many things I must do personally, but for the All Under Heaven the people, I am willing!"
Taking care of the Empress is also a matter of serving the country, which is perfectly reasonable!
"Your Majesty is merciful!"
Zhao Gao choked up, thinking how truly great the emperor was.
Lin Yi chuckled, not caring whether it was true or not, and said with a smile, "Have the palace maids call the ladies over; they're probably hungry too!"
In reality, he eats quite casually, usually in his bedchamber for convenience, but today, for the palace examination, he changed his dining location to the Imperial Study.
Don't be fooled by the fact that this is where the emperor studied; it's actually a palace, big enough to host a grand banquet, let alone set up a table for meals.
As emperor, although his meals were of a very high standard, his breakfasts were generally quite simple.
Besides the crab congee, there were only some pastries and fruits, nothing else. However, this was definitely a luxury for ordinary people.
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"
Soon Cai Yan and the others arrived, but they all looked listless, like wilted eggplants, completely dejected.
Seeing this, Lin Yi was immediately filled with smugness and laughed, " Xiao Yan, Lele, what's wrong with you two? Why are you so listless?"
spit!
Seeing his gaze, Cai Yan couldn't help but give him a dirty look, but she didn't have the strength to speak and started drinking her porridge.
Let's replenish our energy first, otherwise we won't have the strength.
Princess Shenle blushed and lowered her head to drink her porridge. Losing at a three-on-one mahjong game was utterly humiliating.
Princess Anne, on the other hand, was quite composed, even giving a thumbs-up and exclaiming, "Your Majesty's card skills are amazing! Anne is completely outmatched!"
"Snort!"
Hearing her words, a hint of arrogance flashed in Lin Yi's eyes, and he laughed, "I am the Emperor of Great Liang. Even if you three sisters joined forces, what difference would it make if there were ten or a hundred of you!"
There's a saying that goes, "I am invincible among men, if I don't fight against the heavens, then who will I fight against!"
There's nothing we can do, we're just that strong.
Forehead!
Saintess Ma Ling'er was completely bewildered. She had lost long ago and hadn't participated in the final battle, so she couldn't understand what was going on.
She mumbled, still half-asleep, "What is Your Majesty saying? Isn't mahjong played by four people? How come there are a hundred?"
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, Lin Yi's expression froze; he was stunned by her question.
How the hell am I supposed to answer that?
He said irritably, "I invented mahjong, and I can have a hundred people play it if I want. You're still not convinced?"
puff!
Shenle spat out the mouthful of porridge she had just taken a sip, her composure broken by the conversation between Ma Ling'er and Lin Yi.
Sizzle!
Cai Yan and Anne couldn't help but chuckle. These two were really funny; their words were completely irrelevant.
What?
Ma Ling'er was completely bewildered, feeling as if she had been offended.
Lin Yi ignored her silly, innocent look and instead turned to Zhao Gao, asking, "How are the examinees? Are they all ready now?"
Today's main focus is on ten top students; it would be a real shame if they started strong but fizzled out.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Lord Cao of the Ministry of Rites has made all the arrangements and is only waiting for Your Majesty to preside over the palace examination," Zhao Gao explained.
kindness!
Lin Yi nodded slightly. He trusted Cao Cao's abilities; although Cao Cao's integrity was questionable, he was quite capable.
Looking at the crab congee in front of him, he instructed, "Have the imperial kitchen prepare more crab congee, and also get some for the princes and officials. It will probably take quite a while today, so don't say I've neglected them."
Today's palace examination only involves ten people, so there's no need to postpone the selection process; we can just handle it all at once.
This will inevitably take a lot of time, so we mustn't let the officials and examinees go hungry; that would be somewhat inhumane.
"This servant will go immediately!"
Zhao Gao sighed inwardly. These officials were truly blessed to have an emperor who cared so much about them.
This crab congee is quite valuable; it looks simple, but it actually requires a lot of effort. The fact that the Emperor directly bestowed it upon officials and examinees is an immense favor.
After Zhao Gao left, the atmosphere at the table immediately became much more lively.
"Your Majesty, why are the top three scholars selected in this imperial examination called the Zhuangyuan (状元), Bangyan (榜眼), and Tanhua (探花)?"
"This top Imperial Examination; he must be no ordinary person..."
Cai Yan and the others were also very curious about this brand-new Imperial Examination examination, asking about the details like curious children.
Lin Yi didn't hide anything and told them some of the details.
After all, they had access to the " North-South Daily," and providing them with the most complete information would undoubtedly make the promotion of the Imperial Examination much faster.